“Labour spent the last nine years calling everything a crisis, yet today’s budget provides no new solutions to back up their claims.

“They’ve dressed it up with rhetoric like ‘starved for funding’ and ‘deficit support’ but the truth is even their health budget is underwhelming, and commits less each year than National did in the last budget.”

The budget is strewn with broken promises, says Simon. No universal cheaper doctors’ visits, 1800 extra cops that aren’t happening when they said, no money for Dunedin hospital, not to mention a raft of new taxes from a Government that promised ‘no new taxes’ in its first term.

“Winston Peters is happy because he got his billion dollars for diplomats and a new embassy in Sweden. Unfortunately, Labour has prioritised that ahead of funding the Roxburgh children’s camp and mental health.

“Labour has realised they don’t have enough money to meet their excessive election commitments and so have increased future allowances by $5 billion.”

New Zealanders are paying the price with a big lift in net Government debt, going up $10.8 billion higher than National over the next four years, says Simon. “And that doesn’t include an additional $6 billion of debt hidden off the Government’s balance sheet.”

“Borrowing more and taxing more in strong economic conditions makes no sense and risks undoing all the hard work New Zealanders have done over the last few years.

“The big thing missing in this Budget is any meaningful help for Kiwi workers. In fact middle-income families are getting steadily worse off, with the cancellation of National’s tax changes and the coming big increases in fuel taxes that will take petrol and diesel prices to record levels.

“Kiwi families can only look enviously across the Tasman where both the Australian Government and the opposition are offering tax relief to boost family incomes.

“But the most frustrating oversight in Grant Robertson’s budget is any plan to keep our economy growing and developing. In fact it’s quite the opposite.

“This Government’s anti-business policies mean the Treasury growth projections are more a hope than a prediction, despite strong growth internationally.”

A hugely disappointing budget of little imagination from a Government that is borrowing more, taxing more and spending more – but has no plans for how we as a country can earn more, says Simon.

14 Comments

What's that noise?

Simon bleating, again. Likes the sound of his own voice, he does. Seems not many others do. Great job if you can get it, even better if you do it well. You never have Simon, have you?

National

Posted on 18-05-2018 18:46 | By Merlin

National ran down the health system never addressed poverty, housing and now are bleating the government has done nothing.They have only been a bit over 6 months and they are calling them out for not fixing the problems they left behind already. Sad really.

Coming from the same party

Posted on 18-05-2018 10:40 | By flashmedallion

that got into parliament by talking about fixing the housing crisis, spent 9 years pretending it didn’t exist, and now have the nerve to accuse the new government of not doing enough... and is now upset that they’re spending too much?

More hollow National rhetoric

Posted on 18-05-2018 08:43 | By penguin

National suffers from long term memory loss and honesty regarding all the broken and underfunded promises during the past nine years. As opposition national has Bridges to nowhere.

Broken promises

Posted on 17-05-2018 21:24 | By Merlin

Pot calling the kettle black.Many promises broken by National and increases in levy’s/tax them selves.

Broken promises

Posted on 17-05-2018 21:23 | By Merlin

Pot calling the kettle black.Many promises broken by National and increases in levy’s/tax them selves.

not a leader

Posted on 17-05-2018 20:54 | By Captain Sensible

Soimon won’t guarantee to fix any of this. He is not a leader.

not a leader

Posted on 17-05-2018 20:54 | By Captain Sensible

Soimon won’t guarantee to fix any of this. He is not a leader.

Opposition

Posted on 17-05-2018 20:21 | By Told you

All very well Simon running down the budget but it is obvious money needed to be spent in many areas that had been underfunded for years,the National partly should be ashamed of themselves for letting it get so far behind.

Well done...

Posted on 17-05-2018 20:08 | By Me again

Labour Government. Unlike the No-hopers from the last govt, all about themselves which will probably never change.

Described

Posted on 17-05-2018 19:51 | By Merlin

Described by the opposition as a Spray and Walk away budget.That should get rid of mould and algae left behind by the previous government.Will take longer than 30 seconds though.

Criticism coming from nowhere

Posted on 17-05-2018 19:34 | By backofthequeue

As you sit in stationary traffic tomorrow morning just remember it was Mr Bridges National government that decided it was a good idea to remove funding for school buses. This same previous government is now being recognised for its underfunding of health, education, housing, etc, etc. As opposition leader it is his job to criticise but lets not lose touch with the reality of the damage done to NZ society the past 9 years. As a first budget this effort by Labour at least looks to try and rectify many areas of National’s neglect.

Spending

Posted on 17-05-2018 19:25 | By MISS ADVENTURE

Yeah true, have a few penny’s there, so let rip and spend a heap more.

Sounds like

Posted on 17-05-2018 19:08 | By Merlin

Sounds like Simon knows about broken promises he should after their ones in there terms like no GST increase,resume super contributions when in surplus,still waiting for the 10 bridges Mr no Bridges.Re taxes National raised taxes and called them levies to fool the public and also increased petrol tax in their time.Talking about rhetoric you should get a gold medal.National increased borrowing debt from what they inherited by about $65 Billion in their term.The brain fade has spread.